High Country Bee, Edition 2, Volume 6, June, 2013

Graduations and graduation parties have made this a day late. But–my second son Christopher has graduated successfully from high school and is now bound to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in LA to study fashion design. I am very proud of him.

Summer Meeting

The Summer Meeting is 2 weeks from yesterday! Are you going? You should be! Not only is there a terrific lineup of speakers but there is ample opportunity for camaraderie and beekeeper-to-beekeeper education! The CSBA Summer Meeting is Saturday, June 15th, in Silt, CO. Click here to go to the CSBA Summer Meeting web page to pre-register, look at the schedule, read the speaker biography and make your reservations for the Beekeepers Ball! Speaking of the Ball–we are 2/3 full so if you are wanting to go, you’d better reserve soon!

This week, I received a call from Senator Gail Schwartz’ office requesting an opportunity to speak at the meeting. Senator Schwartz represents the Aspen area and is responsible for both the original Cottage Industry Bill and the modifications to the training requirements that were passed this year. I am VERY EXCITED to have her at the meeting and I hope you will take the opportunity to introduce yourselves while you are there. Senator Schwartz is an ally in our mission to improve the health of the Colorado Beekeeping Industry and the honeybees themselves.

Glenwood Canyon Rafting Company also contacted me regarding setting up a rafting trip through Glenwood Canyon for anyone interested. If you are, click here. This could be a lot of fun for other family members while you are attending the meeting! Make sure to mention you are with the CSBA!

Swarm Season

Well–what on earth is happening with swarm season? Here we sit on June 2, and I can count the number of swarm and hive removal calls that we have had in double digits. Normally, by now, we would be well into the 200 to 300 range. While I think it is a tad early to panic, I am pretty darn concerned about the situation on this side of the mountains.

Many of you have caught swarms for the past few years and had your hives swarm already this spring. It is absolutely noteworthy how many of the reported swarms came from managed hives! By catching and keeping swarms, we are, of course, selecting for swarm behavior.

Further, there is no doubt that there is a weather component to the equation. The tough April, the late freeze on May 1, and the general uncooperativeness of the month of May has done nothing to encourage swarm behavior.

But what about our wild hives? And has anyone seen a bumble bee? I have not. I am also participating in “The Bees Needs” citizen science project being conducted by the University of Colorado at Boulder and have NO bees in my bee boxes, either. This additional data is contributing to my unease.

While there is little that one can do about the weather, there is a lot that can be done about other contributors to pollinator decline…

Pollinator Week

Pollinator Week is right around the corner and the CSBA is partnering with both BCBA and NCBA to, once again, work with our sponsor BBB Seed and local nurseries and garden centers to spread the message about the importance of pollinators. This year’s message is simple: “Plant for Pollinators, Eliminate Pesticide Use”. If you would like to help with the Pollinator Week promotion, the CSBA is looking for volunteers to man educational booths at the participating nurseries and garden centers onSaturday, June 22nd from 10-2. Those who ran these booths last year really had a good time! In fact, the better time you had–the more the public was engaged! Bee hats, dances, etc are all encouraged! Please contact Beth Conrey at 970-213-3099 or president@coloradobeekeepers.org.

In addition, we have produced a new brochure with the Mission Statement above; an annual, perennial, shrub and tree list; and steps to eliminating pesticide use in your garden. These brochures are available to CSBA members and member organizations at no charge. I will have them available at the Summer Meeting for your outreach efforts. THANKS to all who volunteer!

Of Interest

This month’s recipe features a product made by one of our Summer Meeting’s guest speakers, Danny Culhane of Honeyville. This is a Caramel Toffee Cheesecake. You all may remember this from our Winter Meeting Meet and Greet! It is an outstanding product and made much easier using Honeyville’s Honey Caramel sauce. Make this for people you love!

As always, if you have any questions or issues, please do not hesitate to call or email.

Sponsors

Follow Us

Upcoming Events

The SouthEast Beekeepers Club is a fairly unstructured group of beekeeping people who get together once a month to share information, ask questions, get news, etc. Other than having a pot luck prior to and[...]

BCBA meeting and election scheduled for this Wednesday, April 22nd at 7:00 pm at the Niwot Grange. Our organization has been without meaningful leadership since Miles McGaughey stepped down last year. Philip Bradbury and Tim[...]

Come and celebrate Boulder becoming a Bee Safe City!! Join us and celebrate Boulder becoming a Bee-Safe City, at a beautiful home in west Boulder, in a shady Boulder landscape with a lovely stream and[...]

Resilient Futures International, will be hosting a beekeeping workshop August 14-16th. The details can be found on the following Facebook link and below: https://www.facebook.com/events/117651431901370/ Please join us for a weekend of exploration and education about[...]